Normal
by XFangHeartX
Summary: Ichiro was always thought to be as normal as any human kid...until he hits puberty. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please!


Inuyasha:

Normal

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Story and OCs © Me

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Summary- Inuyasha and Kagome always thought that Ichiro would be just about as normal as your average human kid...until he hit puberty.

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It was right in the middle of springtime. Flower petals gently fell from the trees and laid scattered on the lush, green grass. Larks chirped and twittered as they flew through the air. At Inuyasha and Kagome's house, Inuyasha sat beneath the trees with baby Izayoi sitting on top of his stomach. She giggled as her father gave her several little smooches, then he took in a deep breath and began to blow raspberries on her tummy, causing her to squeal.

At that moment, Ichiro, having turned 13 about 2 weeks ago, came outside, inhaling the scents of spring before he sighed happily and began to head off on his own...and if one took a close look, they would have noticed that he was sporting a necklace made out of round, dark red beads.

"I'm going out for a bit!" Ichiro called.

"Whoa, there!" Inuyasha called to his eldest son. "Hold it right there, pal! Before you go, did you finish your chores?"

"Yes, Dad," Ichiro replied.

"_All_ of them?" Inuyasha inquired with a slightly skeptic look.

"Yes, Dad, all of them," Ichiro answered.

"He did them all, Inuyasha," Kagome said as she came outside while Usagi came toddling out beside her while holding her fingers. "I know because I supervised."

"Ah," Inuyasha nodded. "Okay, son, you're free to go."

"Bye, Dad," Ichiro said as he walked away. As he did, Kagome sighed softly as she watched him go out to who-knows-where...and Inuyasha soon joined her side.

"You okay, Kagome?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that," said Kagome.

"...To be honest, I don't really know, myself," Inuyasha said. "I mean...he still doesn't know, does he?"

"...No," Kagome replied. "I mean...I know we have to tell him eventually...what that necklace is really for."

Inuyasha glanced over at his wife...then he gently put his arm around her shoulders, causing her to lean into him. As she did, she reached over and rolled up her right sleeve, revealing her right forearm...which bore a large bite mark. Inuyasha stared at the scar, quietly sucking his lower lip under his teeth.

_'To think...this all started on his 13th birthday,'_ he thought.

_Flashback_

It was early morning on April 14th, the day of Ichiro's birth. The sun's rays gently shone through his window as the sleeping teenage snored loudly as he lied on his futon, a sliver of drool falling from his gaping mouth as he lied under the covers. Then, all of a sudden, there was a knock on his door, causing him to snort as he was roused from his slumber.

"Ichi!" Kagome called. "Time to get up, honey!"

"Ugh...okay, Mom!" Ichiro called back as he sat up, yawning and stretching his arms and legs. He smacked his lips and scratched at his messy hair before he stood up and walked out, only for his mother to kiss him on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie," Kagome smiled.

"Thanks, Mom," Ichiro replied as he headed down to brush his teeth. Once he left, Kagome walked in so that she could air out his beddings...but when she pulled the blanket away, she gasped in shock. For some reason...Ichiro's futon was covered in large lacerations. In fact, there were even some on the floor.

"...What in the world...?!" Kagome whispered as she stepped back.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked as he came in. "Hey, what's going on- whoa!" He stopped midsentence when he saw the claw marks on the floor and Ichiro's bed. "What the hell...?! Where did all these come from?!"

"...I...I don't know," Kagome replied. "I...I think Ichiro made them."

"What?" Inuyasha asked. "Not, that's impossible. I mean, yeah, he has claws and fangs, but they're not as sharp as mine. There's no way he could've-"

"M-Mommy?"

"Daddy?"

Kagome and Inuyasha both turned to see Yamako...who, for some reason, looked rather nervous. Sanka stood behind him, looking just as frightened as her brother.

"Yama, San, what's wrong, you two?" asked Kagome as she crouched down to his level.

"...Umm...we didn't wanna say this in front of Ichi since it's his birthday and all," Yamako began, "but...last night, we heard scary noises coming from his room. It sounded like growling...like a monster."

"...Uh-oh..." Inuyasha muttered.

"Why didn't you just come and get us?" asked Kagome.

"We were too scared," Sanka answered, timidly. "I ended up sleeping with Yama, last night."

"Well, that's odd," Kagome muttered.

"Uh...Kagome, can I speak to you for a sec-" Inuyasha started, only to be interrupted by a loud snapping sound, followed by a cry of "Dang it!"

"Ichi?" Kagome called as she went downstairs, only for him to meet her halfway while holding a blue, plastic stick. "What happened?"

"I was just starting to brush my teeth when my toothbrush broke," said Ichiro.

"Well, that's no surprise," said Kagome. "You've had it ever since you were 5. It's probably worn out. We'll just get you a new one the next time we visit Grandma, okay?"

"I guess," Ichiro said as he looked down at his broken toothbrush. "I kinda liked the one I had, though."

"Kagome, I seriously need to talk to you," Inuyasha said.

"About what?" Kagome asked.

"Well...uh..." Inuyasha muttered before he glanced at Ichiro, who blinked at him in curiosity.

"About what, Dad?" Ichiro asked, causing Inuyasha to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Uhh...about...what we're gonna do for your birthday!" Inuyasha answered.

"Oh!" Ichiro said. "Okay, then!" That's when his stomach started grumbling. "Uh...Mom? Are you gonna get started on breakfast, soon?"

"Yes, honey, just gimme a second," Kagome answered, and soon, Ichiro headed back downstairs.

"Kagome, I really need to talk-" Inuyasha began.

"Can't it wait until after breakfast?" asked Kagome. "I'm sure it's not that important."

"Oh, boy..." Inuyasha muttered.

Later that morning, Kagome had finished fixing up breakfast. Nothing too special, just rice, eggs, and some grilled fish. However, as the family ate their meal, Kagome noticed that Ichiro was eating rather quickly and asked for seconds...and then thirds, and even after he ate that, he claimed he was still hungry.

"Ichi, don't you think you've had enough?" Kagome asked. "I don't want you getting sick on your birthday."

"But I'm still hungry," Ichiro said. "Can't I just have a little more?"

Kagome sighed before she handed her son some dried fish.

"Here," she said. "I was gonna give these to Mamoru for a treat, but maybe this will keep you satisfied for a little while."

"Thanks, Mom," Ichiro said as he bit into one of the fish, then turned and headed out to do his chores for the day.

"Kagome, can I talk to you, now?" asked Inuyasha. "Seriously, this can't wait."

"Fine, Inuyasha," Kagome said. "What is it you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about Ichiro," said Inuyasha. "He's...starting puberty."

"So what?" asked Kagome with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "He'll just start growing hair on his face, under his arms and...an unmentionable place. No big deal."

"No, Kagome, it IS a big deal," Inuyasha said. "Ichi's body is going through certain changes...and not just the kind that a human boy would go through."

"...What do you mean?" asked Kagome as she raised an eyebrow at him, skeptically.

"What I mean is..." Inuyasha started...only to take a quick whiff of the air and cover his nose, and Kagome gagged as she did the same.

"Mom!" Yamako called. "Izayoi's got a stinky diaper!"

"Yeah, I can smell it," Kagome said before she turned to Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, we'll have to talk about this later."

"I get it," Inuyasha answered. "Just hurry before I pass out!"

After Kagome changed Izayoi's diaper (and Usagi's because she messed hers not long after), Inuyasha pulled her aside to talk to her.

"Okay, before we were interrupted by diaper duty," Inuyasha began, "what I was trying to say is that...Ichiro's demon side might be starting to mature."

"...W...what?" Kagome asked. "What do you mean, his 'demon side'? Inuyasha, he's only a quarter-demon, just like the rest of the kids."

"But he still has demon blood in him, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Demon blood which, by the way, he inherited not just from me but also from my Father, who was a very powerful demon!"

"So what are you trying to say?" asked Kagome.

"Listen, Kagome," Inuyasha said. "Ichiro might not realize this, but now that he's going through puberty, there's a chance his demon powers are beginning to manifest themselves...and I know because..." He sighed as he ran his hands through his silvery-white hair. "Because I went through it, too."

"...You did?" Kagome asked in concern.

"Yeah, I did," Inuyasha said. "Kagome, when I turned 13, I didn't know my own strength. I'd break sticks without even trying! My claws could slice through stones like they were paper! My fangs could tear through the toughest of hides!"

"So...what do you think is gonna happen?" asked Kagome, worriedly.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak...but his voice was soon cut off by the sound of a terrible scream.

"KAGOME! INUYASHA! PLEASE HELP!"

"MOM, DAD! IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"

At that moment, both half-demon and priestess ran to the front door, only to gasp as they saw Sango and Miroku standing on the porch...the latter holding Roku, who groaned in pain as blood dripped out of several deep gashes on his right arm, which was being covered by a thick cloth in an attempt to halt the bleeding. Behind them was Ichiro, who whimpered as he stared worriedly at his other best friend.

"Kagome! Roku needs medical attention, right away!" Miroku urged.

"It...it hurts...!" Roku groaned.

"Roku, what happened?!" asked Kagome.

"It was an accident!" Ichiro answered. "I swear, I didn't mean to hurt him!"

"We'll explain inside," Sango said. "Hurry!"

Soon, Kagome brought Roku into the house and proceeded to suture his wounds and using special ointments. After that, she soon bandaged his arm.

"I'll remove his stitches in about a week," said Kagome.

"Thank you, so much, Kagome," said Sango as she bowed her head.

"What happened?" asked Inuyasha.

"I...I didn't mean to," Ichiro muttered as he fiddled with his hands. "I swear, I...I just meant to grab him!"

"Ichiro, for the last time," Miroku began, "we know you didn't mean it! Please, don't be so hard on yourself."

"Ichiro was outside doing his chores," Sango began, "and we happened to come by because we wanted to wish him a happy birthday. Roku went up to him, they started tussling a little bit, like boys do...but then, the next thing we know, Ichiro grabs him by the arm and his claws dug into him!"

"I was just messing around," Ichiro said. "I swear, I thought I just grazed him!"

"Ichiro, this is not your fault," Inuyasha said. "Look...what you're going through is natural, okay?"

"N-natural?" Ichiro asked.

"Look, son," Inuyasha began, "you know I'm half-demon and your grandfather was a powerful pureblooded demon?"

"...Uh-huh," Ichiro nodded.

"Well...even though you're only just a quarter-demon," Inuyasha began, "you still have demon blood in you, even if it's not much. Now that you're 13, your body will start to go through a few changes, okay? You're a little bit stronger, now, but you don't know exactly know how to control it, yet...but it's okay." He put his hand on his shoulder. "I'm gonna help you get through this."

Ichiro smiled, a feeling of relief forming in his chest as he went up and hugged his father, who chuckled as he returned his embrace.

Over the next few days after that, things seemed to gradually get worse. Now, not only was Ichiro having trouble controlling his newly developed demonic strength, it also seemed that he had developed a short temper akin to the one his father once had. One minute, he'd be just sitting quietly, and the next minute, he'd start yelling about even the smallest of things. For instance, one time, Yamako was running around with Sanka, playing with their Kemari ball, but when they accidentally bumped into Ichiro, he just exploded at them...which, of course, ended with his younger siblings in tears, which led him to feel guilty for his outburst.

That wasn't even the worst part.

The worst part came when Inuyasha came home one day after another demon-slaying job with Miroku. Things were rather quiet when he got back...actually, it was a little too quiet for his liking.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha called as he headed toward the house...and almost instantly, he stiffened as he smelled the all-too-familiar scent of blood...and not just any blood: his wife's blood.

Without wasting a second, he hurried around the back of the house...only to gasp in horror. Kagome was grunting as she stood near the chicken coop...a strained look on her face as she tried to pull her arm out of Ichiro's mouth.

"Ichi, let go!" Kagome cried. "It's me, your mother!"

"Ichiro!" Inuyasha yelled. "What the hell are you doing?! Let go of your mother, right now!"

Ichiro froze...then, he pulled away from Kagome, who panted as she held her bloodied arm...but when he turned around to face his father, Inuyasha felt his blood go ice cold.

Ichiro's eyes were a deep red with blue irises and white pupils...and he had dark red markings going down his eyes, almost as if he were shedding tears of blood. His grayish-silver hair was wild and unkempt. His fangs, stained crimson with his mother's blood, grew twice their size and so did his claws.

Ichiro had transformed into a full demon.

"...No...!" Inuyasha whispered in horror.

Ichiro growled as he stared at his father...but to him, he wasn't staring at his father. He was staring at a potential challenger. With a roar, Ichiro dropped down on all fours and charged as if he was a wild dog!

"Inuyasha, look out!" Kagome yelled.

Inuyasha just stood there, gaping at the wild demon that his son had transformed into...only to sigh and close his eyes. Then, with a yell, he charged back at Ichiro and grabbed him in a headlock. Kagome gasped in shock but was unable to look away while Ichiro thrashed in his father's hold. He even bit Inuyasha on his right bicep, and even though he flinched, he refused to let go.

"I'm sorry, Ichi," Inuyasha began, "but you need to take a NAP!"

**BAM!** He drove his fist right into his son's stomach, causing him to gag as the wind was knocked out of him. Then...his red eyes faded into white as he collapsed on the ground, the markings under his eyes disappearing, as well. Inuyasha sighed in relief, just as Kagome did, but then, she grunted as the adrenaline of the moment soon passed...the pain in her arm began to set in.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried as he ran to her side, getting a very close look at her wound. It was a deep gash with blood pooling from it. Kagome seethed as she tried to hold it shut, but even that didn't seem to help.

Wasting no time, Inuyasha quickly gathered Kagome and the unconscious Ichiro and headed inside the house. Once inside, he began to wash the bite wound with water and special herbs, then got the needle and sutures that she always kept handy in case of situations like this.

"What happened?!" Inuyasha asked.

"I...I don't know," Kagome answered. "I was outside with Ichiro while he was chopping wood and..." She then seethed again as Inuyasha began to suture the wound like he had taught her during their traveling days. "The...the ax broke in his hands and he got frustrated. I was just trying to calm him down, but it didn't work...and then the next thing I knew, he started yelling at me and growling and..." She whimpered as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "...Thank god you came back in time...! I can't believe...our own son tried to kill me!"

Inuyasha felt his heart sink. As if he wasn't feeling bad enough for her, already. He quickly pulled Kagome into his arms, being careful not to squeeze her mended wound.

For once...Inuyasha didn't know what to do. If this was any other demon, he would have cut them in half with his _Tetsusaiga_...but not this one. The demon that attacked his wife was their oldest son, the boy they raised for 13 years and loved to death. They always thought that because he was just a quarter-demon, that he'd just grow up to be about as normal as your average human kid...but what happened certainly proved them wrong.

"Where are the rest of the kids?" asked Inuyasha.

"With Sango," said Kagome. "She's looking after them."

"Good," Inuyasha replied. "They don't need to see this."

"Ugh...who...doesn't need to see what?"

Inuyasha and Kagome both gasped as they saw Ichiro sit up while rubbing his skull.

"Ichi, are you okay?!" Kagome asked as she attempted to go over to his side...only for Inuyasha to lightly pull her back, which caused her to gasp silently...but she knew why.

It was out of protective instinct.

"I...I think so," Ichiro said before he turned to his mother and noticed her sutured arm, which caused him to gasp. "Mom, your arm! Are you okay?!"

"She's fine, Ichiro," Inuyasha said. "I-it's okay...I took care of it."

Ichiro sighed in relief at that.

"Okay..." he said before he scratched at his head. "It's weird...what was I doing, just now? I was outside chopping wood, and then...somehow, I'm in the house?"

"You got exhausted, honey," said Kagome. "You were working all day."

"Oh...I see," Ichiro muttered...although he sounded a bit unsure.

"Why don't you rest for a little while?" asked Inuyasha. "I'll get started on making dinner."

"Uh...yeah, okay," Ichiro said before he got up and headed upstairs. Kagome sighed as she leaned toward Inuyasha, who quietly embraced her and gave off a soft rumble in his throat.

What were they going to do?

XXX

"Ichi! Come down here for a second, please!" Kagome called from downstairs, and soon after, Ichiro descended from the upper floor.

"Yeah, Mom?" Ichiro asked.

"Ichi, I have something for you," Kagome said as she held something in her hands. "Think of it as a late birthday present."

"Yeah?" Ichiro asked as he walked up to her. "What is it?"

"Ta-dah!" Kagome exclaimed as she opened her hands...revealing a necklace made of dark red beads. "Look! Your very own rosary! Now you and your dad match!"

"Oh, cool!" Ichiro exclaimed in delight...but then he paused. "Hey, hold up a second...these beads won't make me 'sit', will they?"

Kagome snorted, and from another room, she could hear Inuyasha snickering as well.

"No, honey," Kagome said. "These beads don't have a trigger word. They're just meant to keep you calm, that's all."

"Keep me calm?" Ichiro repeated. "Why?"

"I imbued with a little spell," said Kagome. "If you keep these on, any anger or frustration you feel will start to go away, okay?"

Ichiro blinked in confusion...but then he shrugged as he bowed his head, allowing his mother to slip the beads on his neck.

"There!" Kagome exclaimed. "They fit like a glove!"

"Wow...thanks, Mom," Ichiro smiled. "I actually feel a little calmer, already!"

Kagome smiled before she went up and hugged her son, who hugged her back.

"...I love you..." Kagome whispered...trying her hardest not to let it sound like her voice was breaking.

"I love you, too, Mom," Ichiro replied...and nearby, Inuyasha watched with a sad, distant look in his eyes as he saw his wife screw her eyes shut, trying so hard not to cry.

_Flashback end_

"...I can't believe I have to put a rosary on my own son," Kagome whispered as tears fell from her eyes.

"Kagome, you didn't have a choice," Inuyasha replied. "If we let things be, Ichiro could transform at any time."

"I don't understand, though," Kagome said, sadly. "Why did he transform? It's not like his life was in any danger."

"...I think he transformed because he got angry," Inuyasha replied. "Sometimes, when demons get enraged, they just can't help themselves."

"...That got me to thinking," Kagome said as she glanced down at Usagi, who blinked up at her, then she looked at little Izayoi, who had her father's forelock in her tiny fist, and nearby, she could see Yamako and Sanka playing with Mamoru. "What about the rest of the kids? What will happen when they get to be Ichiro's age? Is there a chance they'll transform, too?"

"...We don't know for sure, Kagome," Inuyasha replied.

"...I hate this," Kagome whispered, causing him to glance down at her. "I hate the idea of living in fear of my own children...what kind of mother am I?" She then covered her face, letting out a gut-wrenching sob as her husband pulled her into his arms...biting his lip as he found himself tearing up, as well, even though he was trying so damn hard not to because he was trying so hard to be strong for her sake. Izayoi and Usagi blinked in confusion...and at that moment, Yamako and Sanka approached their mother, as well, staring at her in concern.

"Mom?" asked Yamako. "Are you okay?"

"Why are you crying, Mommy?" inquired Sanka.

"...Oh, kids," Kagome whispered as she kneeled down and pulled them into her arms. "Mommy's okay..."

"Yeah...everything's okay," Inuyasha agreed as he stroked his fingers through Kagome's hair.

_'...But for how long...?'_

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Yikes.

Now I know what you guys are thinking: Ichiro's a quarter-demon. How could he possibly transform? Well, I put it like this: Ichiro's father is a powerful half-demon who is the son of an even more powerful dog demon general, and that demon more than likely comes from a long line of powerful demons in their own right. Therefore, Ichiro can transform because even though he has even a little of it, he still has the blood of a demon within him.

Now does this also apply to the rest of the kids? I don't know yet, but we'll see along the line.

Review, please!


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